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Faculty Research Grants

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Faculty Research Funding Opportunities

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center supports an annual competitive research grant program open to tenured and tenure-track Dartmouth faculty for research on public policy issues relevant to the social sciences. 

  •  “These small grants can become the seed for initiating larger projects and being able to establish their feasibility.” Deborah Nichols, Professor of Anthropology.

  • "The grant went towards field work in Nepal for a project related to understanding women’s reproductive health lives." Sienna Craig, Associate Professor of Anthropology.

  • Professor of Education Donna Coch with the help of Kevin Griffee ’19 are working together on a study about how the brain processes rhymes.

  • Sociology Professors Kim Rogers and Emily Walton hosted the “Interacting Across Difference” Conference with support from the Rockefeller Center.

About the Program

The Rockefeller Center director, the associate dean for the social sciences, and other members of the Rockefeller Center's Faculty Council review applications and select the most promising prospects for funding. We will entertain proposals for projects that reach beyond traditional faculty research endeavors. We particularly welcome submissions from junior faculty and first-time applicants.

The Rockefeller Center will consider research grant applications that were not funded in response to other calls for proposals, such as the Dean of Faculty's Scholarly Innovation and Advancement Awards, provided they meet the funding criteria for the Rockefeller Center's program. Faculty can submit the original proposal (i.e. it is not necessary to re-write using our application form) to Laura Mitchell, Program Coordinator, Curricular and Research Programs.

For more information, call Curricular and Research Programs at (603) 646-2229.

Funding Information

Grant budgets typically range from $5,000 to $15,000. Compensation for project directors and collaborators is not available.

Rockefeller Center research funding is derived from various endowed funds. Grants may be designated as funded through specific endowments (e.g., Reiss Family Faculty Research Fund). In all cases, published research emanating from Center grants must acknowledge the financial support of the Rockefeller Center, including specific endowments when appropriate.

Eligibility Requirements

For all grants, the project director must be a tenured or tenure-track member of a department reporting to the associate dean for the social sciences. Faculty from other departments or programs in the Arts & Sciences must obtain prior approval from the Rockefeller Center director before applying. Visiting faculty members are not eligible. Collaborators may be Dartmouth faculty or scholars from other institutions. If collaborators reside at other institutions, evidence of cost sharing in the research project should be presented.

Application Information

Grant proposals will be reviewed twice a year during the fall and spring terms. The submission deadlines are April 1 and October 15. Your application must include:

  • An abstract (250 words)
  • A concise research proposal written in non-technical language that includes a clearly delineated research methodology section (no more than three single-spaced pages/1,500 words)
  • A detailed budget
  • Your completed application

Email your completed application to Laura Mitchell, Program Officer, Curricular and Research Programs.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Quality of the proposal
  • Likelihood of a project leading to publication or product
  • Importance of Center funding to the completion of the project
  • Evidence that the applicant is seeking funding outside of Dartmouth
  • Benefit to the Dartmouth community, particularly to student engagement in the research enterprise